National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik delivers a speech at the 3rd joint meeting of all parties for bipartisan constitutional amendment promotion held at the National Assembly Speaker's office on the 28th. [Yonhap News]  

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik said on the 30th, about a month before the end of his term as Speaker, "I am very disappointed that we were unable to lead the constitutional amendment process to an agreement between the ruling and opposition parties."

Woo answered this way when asked to pick the most regrettable moment during his two-year term at a forum hosted by the Newspaper and Broadcasting Editors' Association at the Korea Press Center.

Woo mentioned that 12 members from the People Power Party must agree for the constitutional amendment bill to pass the National Assembly, stating, "We need to persuade them one by one, not 'poach' them. I believe it's achievable if the People Power Party abandons its opposition stance."

He expressed, "If we don't open the door for constitutional amendment this time, we don't know when the opportunity will come again, and it's true that it doesn't seem easy," adding, "I don't understand the real reason for the People Power Party's opposition. It feels like a 'wall'."

He emphasized, "I believe the People Power Party is ultimately calculating based on the advantages and disadvantages in local elections. Participating in constitutional amendment is the path for the People Power Party to be reborn as a healthy conservative party for the public."

Regarding the criticism that the current constitutional amendment bill omits aspects like the restructuring of the power structure, he reiterated, "If constitutional amendment discussions happen at the beginning of a term, it gets sucked into a black hole. It ends with just discussions. In the June Democratic Uprising of 1987, an agreement was reached on direct presidential elections due to public resistance. Since that is not the situation now, proposing a bipartisan agreement on constitutional amendment regarding the power structure is tantamount to saying, 'Let's not amend the constitution.'"

He added, "This time, when the public was surprised by the emergency martial law, we must enact constitutional amendments that prevent illegal emergency martial law from ever being even dreamed of, and this is a very significant constitutional amendment."

He mentioned the 'Basic Law on Life and Safety' as a bill he desperately wants to pass during his term, stating, "We will process nearly 130 bills that have passed the Legislation and Judiciary Committee at the plenary session on May 7th."

Regarding his political future after his term as Speaker ends, he replied, "I have never specifically thought about it. If the public says, 'You should do this,' then I will consider it. If not, I will diligently work to help junior colleagues."

He commented, "I often hear that 'Woo Won-sik is ultimately a Democratic Party person,' 'He intends to return to the Democratic Party,' and 'He plans to run for party leader.' In that regard, the Speaker's obligation of neutrality must be upheld in accordance with the Constitution and the values of democracy."

He added, "If there is a national consensus that cannot be achieved in the National Assembly due to a lack of agreement between the ruling and opposition parties, it is an abdication of responsibility by the National Assembly. Even without bipartisan agreement, if public interest and consensus have accumulated over a long time, I believe it is a task the National Assembly must undertake and proceed with."